Humble Mechanic – Page 10 – Humble Mechanic

What You Need To Know About Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are on of those automotive terms that almost everyone has heard of. But do you REALLY know the ins and outs of what a spark plug is? Today we are going to explore the wonderful world of your engine’s spark plugs. Remember that this video is an informative and in-depth video. Your vehicle’s engine may have some additional steps to removing or replacing spark plugs. Some cars even have 2 per cylinder. As always please be careful when working on your car.

Join me today as we discuss:

What are the parts of a spark plug?
What does a spark plug do?
What happens after a spark plug “sparks”
How to determine spark plug size
What is the reach of a spark plug?
Determining heat range of a spark plug
What happens when a Spark plug is too hot or cold
Spark plug gap tools
How to gap a spark plug
Removing coils and plugs
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “What You Need To Know About Spark Plugs” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. Again, if you have a question for a show like this, email me Charles(at)humblemechanic(dot)com with Question for Charles in the subject. Also if you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form!

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March 30, 2016/5 Comments/by Charles

Humble Mechanic

REBATE ~ DENSO Iridium TT Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are something that are often taken for granted. That is until our engine has a problem. Almost everyone has heard of Denso and their roll in the spark plug world. Now, I know what your are thinking “Charles, you are a Euro guy, Denso plugs are for Asian imports”. Well you are right, Denso’s Iridium TT Spark Plugs work awesome in that environment. In fact I ran Denso Plugs in my wife’s Nissan. Denso also makes spark plugs to fit a number of application, and is the choice of tuning companies like NeuSpeed. Denso TT plugs are also on rebate so you can save a up to $16 http://DENSO.rapid-rebates.com

Now there is more than meets the eye when it comes to spark plugs. I have replaced tons of spark plugs over the years of fixing cars. While many of them were simply due to maintenance, there have been plenty of failed spark plugs. Some times that means the spark plug was faulty, other times it was due to the wrong spark plugs being stalled. Installing great quality spark plugs is vital to engine performance, power, and fuel economy

Twin Tip Technology
The technology behind Iridium Twin Tip is less obstruction to the spark allowing an omni-directional explosion. This minimizes the quenching effect and results in a more effective, more complete combustion. The large center and ground electrodes seen on a Standard Plug increases “quenching” of the explosion, meaning the spark explosion is restricted by the electrodes above and below the gap, allowing it to spread to either side, but not grow with full range. Twin Tip Technology overcomes this with a unique design, there are literally two “tips”: a 0.4-millimeter Iridium center electrode, and a 0.7-millimeter Platinum ground electrode.

There are a lot of aspects of vehicle maintenance and repair that require the proper parts. So whether you are driving a stock Acura, or a modified car, do not let poor quality spark plugs hinder your engine performance and fuel economy. You can pick up Denso spark plugs as well as many engine parts at http://DENSOautoparts.com/where-to-buy.

“This is a sponsored blog; while the views expressed here were genuinely mine, consideration was paid to me by DENSO to review this product”

March 28, 2016/5 Comments/by Charles

Humble Mechanic

Viewer Automotive Questions ~ Podcast Episode 128

Today on the Automotive Podcast, I will be taking your car related questions. The “Viewer Automotive Question” shows are done every Monday. If you have a car question for a show like this, email me Charles(at)Humblemechanic(DOT)com. Be sure to put the phrase “Question for Charles” in the subject. That is the best way to avoid the spam monster.

Sponsor of the Day
CRP deals in a ton of OE automotive parts. They also make the factory DSG fluid for VW. Having them as a sponsor will give us access to more information about fluids than I would ever get from VW. I am really excited to have them as a resource of information. To learn more about the great products they have, check out CRPAutomotive.com

Join me as I take your car questions on:
~Being a used car tech at the dealership
~VW Cabriolet cold start issues
~Deleting brake booster vacuum pump
~Manual transmission shifting issues
~VW speakers blowing
~VW factory training
~Relocating an ECM
~and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “Viewer Automotive Questions ~ Podcast Episode 128” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. Again, if you have a question for a show like this, email me Charles(at)humblemechanic(dot)com with Question for Charles in the subject. Also if you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form!

Don’t forget to follow me at:

February 8, 2016/1 Comment/by Charles

Humble Mechanic

6 Things You Will Not Learn In Automotive Tech School

Today we are looking at some of the things you will not learn at automotive mechanic school. This is episode 124 of The Humble Mechanic Podcast. I have to also say that I went to automotive tech school. I had a great experience there. I learned a ton in my time there, and it helped me form my career as a mechanic. But there are several things that are not covered in tech schools. Today we are going to talk about a few of those things.

Sponsor of the day:
Rain Eater wiper blades. Wipers are one of the most important safety items on our cars. Think not, you must have never driven in bad weather. When you are ready to replace your wiper blades, a very easy DIY, check out RainEater wipers at RainEater.com. Plus I LOVE that their CEO is the one monitoring social media.

Join me today as we discuss:

A little about my time at automotive tech school
How to buy tools responsibly
Dealing with flat rate
Managing money as a mechanic
Working with customers as a mechanic
Selling work to a service advisor
Diagnosing cars
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “6 Things You Will Not Learn In Automotive Tech School ” on YouTube.

As always, your questions and comments are welcome. If you have an idea for a show topic, please use the contact me form, or email me Charles(at)humble mechanic(dot)com

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January 13, 2016/2 Comments/by Charles

Humble Mechanic

Top 5 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Tool Deals

It is that time of year again. Where we hunt down the best deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Whether you are braving the stores for doorbuster deals, or sitting behind your computer shopping online, there are great tool deals to be had. Here are my top 5 best deals

This Coast light has become my daily use light at the shop. It is crazy bright, focusable and rechargeable. It also comes with a sleeve to use regular AAA batteries which are included.

It is no secret that I love tools. And while kits like this come with more allen wrenches than you will ever need, there are a lot of good tools for the price. Plus remember that Craftsman tools have a lifetime warranty.

This is one of my top 5 favorite tools. And now it’s priced $50 less than I paid for it. You are probably not going to find a better drill and impact combo for less. I did a review a while back, if you want to see just how great these are. Makita Drill and Impact Driver Set Review.

When it comes to electrical diagnosis, the Power Probe is a must have. I own several Power Probes and they are my first grab when it comes to vehicle electrical diagnosis. This PP3 kit with all the leads is over $95 off.

Vice-Grip locking pliers are a great addition to every tool box. It doesn’t matter if you are a professional technician, or an avid DIYer, Vise Grips have a ton of uses. You can get this set for almost half off.

When doing this research, I was surprised that at the lack of great tool deals for Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. If you have a deal you have found, please post it in the comments section.

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November 26, 2015/4 Comments/by Charles

Humble Mechanic

Top 5 Failures 1998-2005 Passat B5/B5.5

Back in action talking about more failed parts. We are well into the series where we are talking about overall failures of the car, not just the specific parts. I think it’s a lot of fun to look back and remember all the issues a generation had. The car we are talking about today is the 1998-2005 Passat. This would include the 1.8t, V6, TDI, and the W8. There is not much to talk about on the W8. They had their issues for sure, but the production run was so limited, they are a rare bird.

Sponsor Of The Day
Today’s show is sponsored by Deutsche Auto Parts. They are the VW and Audi parts experts. They have great prices and awesome service. Plus they work really hard on a ton of VW DIY videos. Paul and the fellas at DAP are awesome. When you are shopping for VW Parts Online be sure to check them out.

Join me as we breakdown:

This is one of the most expensive VWs to own
Passat Oil leaks
Passat Water leaks
Passat Suspension links failing
1.8t Passat Engine sludge
Passat Rear brake wear
Rapid fire ~ Passat Recalls
Rapid fire ~ A lot of other issues
I LOVE my B5.5 Passat
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “Top 5 Failures 1998-2005 Passat B5/B5.5 ” on YouTube.

As always, your questions and comments are welcome.
Please post them below. If you would like to suggest a part of a show like this, email me Charles(at)HumbleMechanic(dot)com. Thanks again to Deutsche Auto Parts for being such a great sponsor.

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November 20, 2015/5 Comments/by Charles

Humble Mechanic

The Best Car At SEMA 2015 – EricTheCarGuy – ChrisFix – Engineering Explained – Humble Mechanic

This is a project long in the making. Today EricTheCarGuy Engineering Explained, ChrisFix, and Humble Mechanic team up for some video shenanigans. On this episode we are chatting a little about what car we would drive home from the 2015 SEMA show. Be sure to stay tuned and subscribe for more!

The Cast

Join us as we decide:

What Eric would drive home
The perfectly fitting car for Jason
How many people will pay the price for Chris’ choice
Will Charles ever make up his mind?
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “The Best Car At SEMA 2015 – EricTheCarGuy – ChrisFix – Engineering Explained – Humble Mechanic” on YouTube.

November 17, 2015/1 Comment/by Charles